National child protection inspection programme – assessment criteria

The topics within our assessment criteria set out what we would expect from child protection arrangements in every police force in England and Wales. We will make graded judgments across each of the five topics set out in this framework.

The criteria listed underneath each topic show how a force needs to perform to achieve a grade of ‘good’. They help us to make consistent assessments across forces. And they allow forces to see what they are being graded against.

The criteria aren’t intended to be prescriptive or exhaustive. They take account of existing national standards and guidance, College of Policing authorised professional practice and evidence from research. But we also consider new guidance, standards and research when made available.

It is important that the force has effective leadership of its child protection arrangements. And its partnership working should be in line with statutory requirements.

We assess the service that the force provides at each stage of its interaction with a child. This is from initial response, risk assessment and referral to other organisations, and includes the investigation of crimes against children. We inspect each force against the following criteria.

1. Leadership

The force has effective leadership and governance arrangements for child protection and safeguarding services.

• Chief officers and senior leaders understand their statutory child protection and safeguarding responsibilities and the force has governance arrangements to make sure these responsibilities are met.
• Chief officers and senior leaders make sure there are enough skilled and knowledgeable officers and staff to provide effective safeguarding services for children and their families.
• Chief officers and senior leaders make sure officers and staff provide a child-centred service.
• The force has a range of measures to support the well-being of its workforce, and signposts those in high-risk roles or affected by a traumatic incident to additional support.

2. Partnership working

The force works effectively with safeguarding partners to help safeguard, protect and promote the welfare of children.

• The force understands its statutory responsibilities to safeguard children. And it has arrangements in every local area to make sure these responsibilities are met.
• The force works with local and national partner organisations to improve, implement and monitor the effectiveness of local safeguarding arrangements for children.
• The force contributes to local plans to prevent harm to children. This includes sharing safeguarding concerns with its multi-agency partner organisations.
• The force works with its multi-agency partner organisations to make sure children receive appropriate support.

3. Initial response

The force effectively identifies vulnerable children and responds appropriately to help safeguard children at risk.

• Children, and people acting on their behalf, can easily contact the force.
• All officers and staff can identify vulnerable children and know how to safeguard them.
• The force carries out effective initial vulnerability assessments.
• The force has a prompt and effective approach to address safeguarding concerns about children.
• The force’s initial response is child-centred: the voice of the child is heard and their views are considered in decision-making.

4. Risk assessment and referral

The force effectively identifies risk and vulnerability and refers to other organisations where appropriate.

• The force provides effective training, guidance and tools to assess risk and manage responses to vulnerable children.
• The force records risk assessment and referral information that is child focused.
• The force has comprehensive risk assessments and it considers all relevant information in its risk analysis.
• The force shares appropriate information to get the right help for children.
• The force contributes to multi-agency information sharing arrangements to protect vulnerable children.

5. Investigation

The force effectively investigates all reports of child abuse, neglect and exploitation.

• The force effectively responds to the sudden and unexpected death of children.
• The force has enough officers and staff who are trained to investigate all reports of child abuse, neglect and exploitation.
• The force’s investigations consider the needs of victims and are child focused.
• The force carries out effective and prompt investigations.
• Supervisors support officers and staff to carry out high-quality investigations.

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National child protection inspection programme – methodology